Dodge Challenger Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Dodge Challenger model year from 2008 to 2023, benchmarked against each other with 2,377 federal complaints, 34 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2010, 2012. These years top the Challenger's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2020 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Challenger's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Dodge Challenger.
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Electrical tops the Dodge Challenger file with 668 complaints, concentrated in the 2011–2013 model years, most often reported around 50,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Typical | 52 | 2 | Visibility & wipers | 10 |
| 2022 | Few reports | 11 | 2 | — | 3 |
| 2021 | Few reports | 29 | 2 | — | 10 |
| 2020 | Better year | 33 | 1 | — | 8 |
| 2019 | Typical | 93 | 3 | Electrical | 26 |
| 2018 | Below average | 115 | 4 | Electrical | 36 |
| 2017 | Typical | 70 | 3 | Other | 22 |
| 2016 | Below average | 109 | 2 | Electrical | 38 |
| 2015 | Below average | 185 | 6 | Electrical | 60 |
| 2014 | Below average | 213 | 5 | Electrical | 69 |
| 2013 | Below average | 251 | 5 | Electrical | 66 |
| 2012 | Avoid | 338 | 6 | Electrical | 84 |
| 2011 | Below average | 257 | 6 | Electrical | 68 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 433 | 7 | Engine | 100 |
| 2009 | Below average | 171 | 7 | Airbags | 49 |
| 2008 | Few reports | 17 | 3 | — | 5 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 3,192 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Dodge Challenger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Dodge Challenger TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Dodge Challenger years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2010, 2012 as the Dodge Challenger years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Dodge Challenger problem?
Electrical tops the Dodge Challenger file with 668 complaints, concentrated in the 2011–2013 model years, most often reported around 50,000 miles.
What are the best Dodge Challenger years to buy used?
The quietest Dodge Challenger years in federal records are 2020 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Dodge Challenger only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.